The present invention relates to an outer operating device for a door lock and, more particularly, to an outer operating device that can be used with different latch devices by slight modification.
Door locks have various types according to the conditions, situations, and needs. One type of the door locks, such as a mortise lock, includes a latch device mounted in a space defined between an inner side and an outer side of a door, an outer operating device mounted to the outer side of the door and operably connected to the latch device, and an inner operating device mounted to the inner side of the door and operably connected to the latch device. The inner and outer operating devices can be operated independently to control a latch of the latch device from a latching position to an unlatching position.
Another type of the door locks, such as a panic exit door lock, includes an outer operating device mounted to the outer side of a door, and a latch device of a different type is mounted to the inner side of the door. Such a latch device generally includes an elongated press bar that can be pressed to move a latch of the latch device from the latching position to the unlatching position. Alternatively, the outer operating device can be operated to move the latch from the latching position to the unlatching position.
Since the latch devices of mortise locks and panic exit door locks are different in the installation location and the structure, the manufacturers have to produce two types of outer operating devices for mounting in the space of the door and the inner side of the door, anti the two types of outer operating devices can not share most of the parts.
Thus, a need exists for an outer operating device that can be used in different latch devices by changing a length and a coupling position of a driving member, providing wider applications and reducing the manufacturing costs.